A mosquito bite can lead to dengue, malaria, chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis, Japanese Encephalitis, zika, yellow fever and many other types of vector borne diseases.

Some of the common mosquito-borne diseases today are:

Common in India:

• Malaria
• Dengue
• Chikungunya
• Lymphatic filariasis
• Japanese encephalitis

In other parts of the world:

• Yellow fever
• Zika fever
• West Nile Virus disease

Yes all mosquitoes behave differently, below are the behaviour of some common mosquitoes found in India.

The two species of Aedes mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus that are the main vectors of dengue and chikungunya.

The Aedes mosquitos prefer biting during sunlight hours (daytime), with peak biting times usually early in the morning and late afternoon to early evening. They prefer breeding in clean, standing water storage containers. They are commonly found in urban environments, usually close to human dwellings. Common breeding habitats include fridge trays, potted plants, AC ducts, open tanks and water storage containers.

There are more than 3500 species of mosquitos.

Common ones in India are – Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, Mansonia

Vector-borne diseases are illnesses caused by pathogens and parasites, in human populations. Every year there are more than 1 billion cases and over 1 million deaths from vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and onchocerciasis, globally. Mosquitoes are the most dangerous and best known vector of human diseases.

Vectors are living organisms such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, mites and snails, which can transmit infectious diseases between humans or from animals to humans.